Postal services apply postal rate discounts to individuals and/or companies that presort mail to a particular presort level. The presort levels may be associated with mail being bundled together having the same carrier route number, the same five digit postal code mailing address, the same first three digits of the postal code mailing address or the same state or provincial mailing address. Each presort level may have a different postage rate. For example, the cost of postage may decrease depending on the number of pieces of mail presorted and/or the presort level achieved. Additionally, a plurality of different publications can be bundled together to increase the number of publications that qualify for a lower cost postage presort rate. To determine the number of mail presorted qualifies for the lower postage presort rate, the postal service employs equipment (e.g., automation equipment) configured to read indicia or other information (e.g., a bar code) provided on the mail.
However, when the postal service equipment cannot read the information or indicia provided on the mail, that particular piece of mail is rejected and is not counted toward the qualifying number of presort mail. Typically, the information or indicia is not readable by the presort equipment due to a low quality print and/or a distorted orientation of the printed information or indicia. As a result, the rejected bundled mail may not qualify for the bundled discount postage.
The figures are not to scale. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawing(s) and accompanying written description to refer to the same or like parts.